A KEEN traffic warden went beyond the call of duty when he slapped a ticket on a prison van – parked outside a court.

The jobsworth issued the fixed penalty notice on the vehicle, while it was waiting on a single yellow line.

Stunned Sam Mason captured the scene on camera as he went to lunch in a pub next to the court building in Reading, Berks.

He said: “You couldn’t make it up. It was the funniest thing I have seen for a long time. I arrived about 1.30pm and I saw the huge van parked outside.

“About half an hour later I saw a traffic warden hovering around and I thought ‘no, he’s not going to put a ticket on that’. But he did. He was there for ages.”

The retired telecoms engineer, 56, added: “I waited to see the reaction of the vehicle’s driver but no one came out. The traffic warden took half an hour to write the ticket and looked like he was enjoying himself. He even posed for pictures.”

The vehicle was operated by GEOAmey. A spokesman said its drivers have no choice but to park on the yellow line when delivering prisoners.

You couldn’t make it up. It was the funniest thing I have seen for a long time

Sam Mason

He said: “The court does not have parking facilities for escort vehicles so to make a safe transfer the vehicles have to park in a restricted area.”